January 31, 1843. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and
children describing a four day journey from Ithaca to New York City via stage,
railroad, and steamer, relating conditions of travel, type and cost of food,
arrival in the city, and the purchase of a life insurance policy. Visits and
describes the Croton Reservoir.

April 2, 1843. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and children
giving instructions on family deportment, an account of a murder trial, and
comment on Mesmerism, religion, personal faith versus organized religion, and
the difficulties in selling plows.

February 16, 1844 - March 31,
1844February 16, 1844. Description of Franklin's printing press
including a sketch, and a suggestion that it be displayed in the National
Institute.

February 26, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and
children describing and providing sketches of items observed in the National
Institute, including detailed description of implements of war from the Fiji
Islands.

March 31, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell reflecting
upon thirteen years of marriage:

May 13, 1844 - August 9,
1844n.d. Morse's telegraphic alphabet and phrases written by
Samuel F.B. Morse for use of Ezra Cornell on test line between Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore.

July 28, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and children
describing in detail his journey by coach to Syracuse and train to Albany, his
impressions of the State Geological collection, and discussing family
businesses, finance, and poles for Benjamin Wood.

July 29, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and children
describing his trip by steamer "Portsmouth" down the Hudson as far as town of
Hudson.

July 29, 1844. Samuel F.B. Morse to Ezra Cornell from New
York:

August 9, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell and
children concerning interest in the telegraph from companies in Boston,
Philadelphia, and New York; potential employment with telegraph for family
members; continued description of trip down the Hudson, including discussion of
the raising of a sunken ship rumored to be that of Capt. Kidd.

October 7, 1844 - November 22,
1844November 24, 1844. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann Cornell quoting
"A World of Love at Home," a poem by J.J. Reynolds and giving instructions to
his children on how to maintain this at home.

June 13, 1847 - June 22,
1847June 21, 1847. British North American Electric Telegraph
Association to Ezra Cornell thanking him for assisting in instruction of
operators and offering him the contract for crossing the St. Lawrence.

December 28, 1847 - December
31, 1847December 28, 1847. B.B. French, President of the Magnetic
Telegraph Company to Ezra Cornell regarding shares issued as dividend payments
and current operations of eastern lines.

September 11, 1849 - September
19, 1849September 17, 1849. J.J. Speed to Ezra Cornell, diagrams and
description of new "switch" he had developed which would allow transmitting of
messages over long distances without rewriting (connecting circuits). 2nd
letter, same date, concerns progress on new western lines (Cleveland &
Cincinnati, St. Louis).

September 20, 1849 - October 4,
1849September 20, 1849. Beach Brothers to Ezra Cornell inquiring
as to arrangements for transmission of news messages for
The New York Sun over the New-York & Erie
and the Erie & Michigan lines. (Letter of October 1, 1849 indicates this
idea has been abandoned by the Beach Brothers)

September 20, 1849. J.J. Speed to Ezra Cornell concerning
prospects looking good for new western lines, O'Reilly conflict, and connecting
circuits.

October 20, 1849 - October 31,
1849October 20, 1849. D.T. Tillotson to Ezra Cornell reporting
on survey of Chenango Valley. October 20, 1849. E.D Benedict to operators
connected with Cleveland and Pittsburgh line detailing a

October 27, 1849. J.J. Speed to Ezra Cornell describing
continued experiments with his switch.

October 29, 1849. Ezra Cornell to D.T. Tillotson discussing
Ithaca area lines (Waterloo and Elmira), operations of House line and Bain
telegraph lines in the east, and the business of the New-York & Erie
line.

November 1, 1849 - November 26,
1849November 4, 1849. E.B. Cornell to Ezra Cornell discussing
the potential of the Cincinnati, Wheeling, & Pittsburgh line and his view
of Speed's switch as an important improvement in telegraph operations.

November 15, 1849. Letters of condolence from H.C. Buell and
W.W. Marks to Alonzo B. Cornell on the death of his sister Elizabeth.

November 24, 1849. Phebe Wood to Ezra Cornell, expressing
sympathy on Elizabeth's death and discussing the success of women telegraph
operators:

December 15, 1849 - December
26, 1849December 18, 1849. J.J. Speed to Ezra Cornell discussing
finances, results of his work in Ohio, and future plans for lines to the
west.

December 22, 1849. Ezra Cornell to Board of Directors of
Hudson River Railroad Company proposing a reciprocal arrangement for the right
to erect poles along the railroad line from New York to Poughkeepsie and for
free passage of his men in return for telegraph services for railroad
business.

December 25, 1849. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann and children,
from Peekskill:

October 6, 1851. J.J. Speed to Directors and Stockholders of
New-York & Erie Telegraph Company reporting on telegraph lines and the
business they are doing, the problem of brimstone caps, and recommendations for
improving the line and business.

July 27, 1854 - August 15,
1854July 27, 1854. Ezra Cornell to Alonzo B. Cornell from
Detroit concerning underground telegraph, family news and health, and
instructions to Ellen on the care of the children in Ezra and Mary Ann's
absence.

October 20, 1854 - November 2,
1854October, 20, 1854. George Curtiss of the New York, Albany
and Buffalo Telegraph Company to Ezra Cornell requesting that a meeting be held
to discuss a permanent Western connection.

October 20, 1857 - December 21,
1857October 20, 1857. Ezra Cornell to Dr. S.E. Shepherd
describing some of his Ithaca property and proposing its use for a water cure
establishment.

November 30, 1857. Ezra Cornell to the President and
Directors of the New York, Albany & Buffalo Telegraph Company on behalf of
the Directors of the New York and Western Union Telegraph Company offering the
sale of their lines.

January 29, 1858 - March 17,
1858February 12, 1858. Henry O'Reilly to Ezra Cornell requesting
any documents and papers he may have connected to the establishment of the
telegraph for a collection O'Reilly was arranging.

February 28, 1858. Ezra Cornell to Mary Ann with news of his
travels, telegraph business, and the various responses his "RR Moddle"
received.

August 3, 1858 - October 10,
1858August 30, 1858. Ezra Cornell to the President of the
Republican County Convention naming Alonzo B. Cornell as Ezra Cornell's
substitute for the position of delegate from Ithaca and speaking of the
importance of the coming election and counseling "wisdom and harmony in the
deliberation and action of the convention."

October 23, 1860. J.J. Speed to Ezra Cornell thanking Ezra
Cornell for his gifts of books and the Cornells' visit, and describing the
welcome accorded the Prince of England in Portland. October 27, 1860. D.B.
Cornell to Ezra Cornell:

January 1, 1861 - January 18,
1861January 1861. Letters from Paul J. Cornell to Ezra Cornell
discussing Cornell family genealogy and stating the position of the South
versus the North regarding slavery and states' rights.

February 19, 1863 - February
28, 1863February 20, 1863. Arad Joy to Ezra Cornell from Ovid
requesting Ezra Cornell to have a bill introduced for appropriating lands to
the New York State Agricultural College.

March 2, 1863 - March 10,
1863March 2, 1863. Ezra Cornell to F.M. Finch concerning the
design of the library building and suggesting that all architects from Ithaca
be given an opportunity to submit plans for "an edifice from which the rays of
light and knowledge was to eradiate to her present and future generations."

August 1, 1863 - September 7,
1863August 3, 1863. D.B. Cornell to Ezra Cornell including a
meticulous account of his participation in the Battle of Vicksburg and his near
fatal injury suffered in the assault:

February 11, 1865. Ezra Cornell to Alonzo B. Cornell from
Albany discussing progress of the University Bill.

February 12, 1865. Ezra Cornell to F.M. Finch from Albany
concerning oil business, appropriation of profits, report on People's College,
the progress on the University Bill and list of possible names for the board of
trustees.

1865. Handwritten draft by Ezra Cornell discussing the
Cornell University legislation, the conditions of his $500,000 gift, the nature
of the University, the financing of the University, and the selection of its
trustees and president.

February 15, 1866 - February
26, 1866February 22, 1866. F.M. Finch to Ezra Cornell proposing
disposition of Cascadilla Place, and suggesting plans for Cornell University
and the Cornell Public Library:

September 13, 1867 - September
23, 1867September 23, 1867. Ezra Cornell to the Trustees of the
Cornell University reporting on construction of first two buildings, building
fund, finances, building plans, land scrip fund, and use of land scrip.

January 1, 1868 - January 13,
1868January 2, 1868. Andrew Dickson White to Ezra Cornell
discussing sale of land scrip, meeting of professors in the spring, and
preparation of circulars about the University.

May 13, 1868 - May 26,
1868May 13, 1868. Andrew Dickson White to Ezra Cornell from
Paris describing his efforts to gather books and other materials for the
University, and reflecting on the University:

May 7, 1869 - June 7,
1869May 14, 1869. Alonzo B. Cornell to Ezra Cornell from New
York regarding the hiring of Scotch English or German immigrants to work as
less expensive laborers at the University:

November 1, 1869 - November 23,
1869November 18, 1869. E.C. Ward to Ezra Cornell thanking him on
behalf of the Woman's Parliament for his offer of aid to Miss Manedel in the
establishment of her Horticultural School for Girls:

March 13, 1872 - April 25,
1872April 2, 1872. Andrew Dickson White to Ezra Cornell
regarding the sale of college lands, a contemplated resignation of the
Presidency, the building of a private residence, and the long-range development
of the University.

This undated material pertains to the telegraph industry, the
Wood family in Albion Michigan, Cornell University, and includes several
appeals to Ezra Cornell for aid.

Many pieces are fragments, scraps, or parts of dated letters;
the undated correspondence includes calling cards, and drafts of outgoing
letters by Ezra Cornell concerning several important matters of the telegraph
industry, the Cornell family, and the University.